Candidates urged to bare stand on environment

MANILA, Philippines - A group of environmentalists has challenged presidential candidates to state their stand on farmer support, including how to make farming conditions more resilient and environment-friendly, and address issues on food sufficiency.

Meanwhile, a survey commissioned by Greenpeace showed that nearly eight in 10, or 76 percent of 1,200 respondents will vote for candidates whose platforms include ensuring food sufficiency and addressing farmers’ needs. This is the result of the  Social Weather Stations (SWS) 2015 third Quarter Social Weather Survey.

The nationwide survey, conducted from Sept. 2 to 15, 2015, also showed that 75 percent of respondents prefer presidential candidates who will ensure that food needs are met and 70 percent will support candidates who promote environment-friendly farming.

Moreover, 44 percent of respondents entreated the government to focus on financial support for farmers to make farming climate-resilient while 39 percent expressed support for ecological agriculture such as organic farming.

Vigie Benosa-Llorin, Greenpeace Philippines food and ecological agriculture campaigner, said “Agriculture, specifically ecological agriculture, has taken a back seat in terms of government prioritization. We have the Organic Agriculture Act but actual implementation and government support have to improve tremendously. Our presidential candidates should take these survey results seriously, as these show how concerned Filipinos are with our current food and agriculture systems.”

Ecological agriculture, which includes organic farming, is a climate-resilient farming system that addresses the issue of food security. It combines modern science and innovation with respect for nature and biodiversity, and ensures healthy farming and food production while protecting the soil, water and climate. It does not contaminate the environment with chemical inputs or use genetically engineered crops.

“We challenge our presidential candidates to make clear their position on food sufficiency and sustainable agriculture. While each candidate may have his or her own line about agriculture, the voters are looking and demanding for more than mere rhetoric, but rather real programs and policies toward safe, healthy and sustainable food and agriculture systems that respond to the continuing plight of Filipino farmers, the majority of whom continue to reel from mass poverty, hunger and destitution,” added Benosa-Llorin.

For its part, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) laments the poor state of agriculture in the country, and called on the government to stop supporting chemical-based and corporate agriculture and instead develop policies that will help farmers through the promotion of ecological agriculture.

“In recent decades, the promotion of agricultural liberalization and corporatization has also intensified the condition where toxic chemicals and engineered organisms bear down on the Filipino farmers and consumers and their efforts to promote socially desirable practices including organic, sustainable and ecological agriculture,” said Rafael Mariano of the KMP.

“The Philippine government has generally negated the objectives of sustainable and ecological agriculture as it continues to promote an overall policy of chemical farming that is founded on rural monopolies in land, income, wealth and power,” he added.